Hyattsville City Council FY27 Budget Public Hearing - May 11, 2026

The Hyattsville City Council held a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 6:32 PM. The meeting was held virtually and lasted approximately 25 minutes, adjourning at 6:57 PM. The primary agenda item was a presentation on the FY27 Budget Overview by City Treasurer Ron Brooks and Deputy Budget Director Ben Bosch. The public comment period was dominated by opposition to the city's contract with Flock Safety, with additional comments on the budget's tax implications.

Note on Attendance: Councilmembers Danny Schaible (Ward 2) and Edouard Haba (Ward 4) were absent. The agenda listed Council Vice President Kareem Redmond as representing Ward 3, while the signed meeting minutes listed him as representing Ward 1.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Alex Koch (Ward 5): Opposed the Flock Safety contract, arguing that a "royalty-free, irrevocable worldwide license" clause in Section 1.4 of the contract undermines the city's claim of ownership over resident data. He alleged that identifying information is not deleted from Flock's servers after the 30-day retention period and urged the council to pause the contract for an independent third-party security review.
• Tim Schwedes (Ward 5): Opposed the Flock Safety contract. Citing his background in information technology, he raised concerns about data security vulnerabilities in the platform and requested the council review and ultimately pause or eliminate the relationship with Flock.
• Jacob Moschler: Opposed the Flock Safety contract, citing his experience in aviation law and cybersecurity. He raised concerns about the indemnity and warranty terms in the contract, arguing that ongoing lawsuits against Flock expose the city and its taxpayers to significant legal and financial risks.
• Luis Walters (Ward 2): Opposed the Flock Safety contract. He argued that the mass collection and storage of location data violates Fourth Amendment protections and that federal lawsuits against cities like Norfolk, San Jose, and San Francisco expose municipalities to significant legal costs and liabilities under Section 1983 civil rights litigation.
• Alison Mendoza-Walters: Opposed the Flock Safety contract, citing residential privacy concerns and data security risks, including the potential for cameras to be breached remotely. She stated that over 125 people signed a petition in Hyattsville and over 135 signed a letter in Greenbelt against the cameras, and that over 60 jurisdictions have rejected Flock contracts.
• Mr. Marshall (Ward 4): Expressed frustration with the budget process, asserting that the 30-minute, two-minute-per-speaker format provided insufficient opportunity for meaningful public input. He stated that the proposed budget amounts to a year-over-year tax increase.
• Mike Bonds (Ward 3): Expressed support for the city administration, acknowledging a reduction in the budget deficit growth compared to previous years, with an increase of approximately $200,000 from the introduced version to the current proposal.

Discussion Items

• FY27 Budget Overview: Treasurer Ron Brooks and Deputy Budget Director Ben Bosch presented the proposed budget. Revenue is projected at $34.5 million, with real property taxes accounting for 64% ($22.1 million). Expenditures are projected at approximately $36 million, inclusive of salaries, benefits, contractual costs, debt service for vehicle financing, and $1 million in PAYGO capital. The budget anticipates a $1.61 million draw from the general fund balance to cover the gap, inclusive of $138,000 in approved council motions (or $203,540 including a pending community services case worker motion).
• Councilmember Inquiries: Council President Joseph Solomon requested a budget version reflecting a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for staff. Deputy Budget Director Bosch confirmed he was preparing the updated table. Councilmember Joanne Waszczak corrected the allocation for the Volunteer Shoveling Program from $3,000 to the approved $2,500. Bosch defined the PAYGO program as cash funding provided for capital projects.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the budget itself, as this was a statutorily required public hearing. A motion to adjourn by Council President Solomon, seconded by Council Vice President Redmond, passed with 9 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions. Councilmembers Schaible and Haba were absent.
• City Administration committed to providing the council with updated budget tables reflecting the 2.5% COLA request and the corrected Volunteer Shoveling Program amount before final deliberations.